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Disclaimer: All the characters from Charmed belong to the Charmed Productions and Spelling. I only lay claim on the character (s) that I created myself. No Copyright infringement with the show of Charmed is intended with this story.
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Unlawfully Yours
In the distance, a cloud of dust was forming on the desert road leading to Prescott, Arizona. Phoebe watched the growing cloud with some interest, but also with a hint of anxiety, as she crouched behind a boulder situated halfway up a hill lining the dirt road. The sun had come up only minutes earlier, and the cool air of the night had not given way to the warmth of day yet. Phoebe shivered, unsure if it was from the cold or from the nerves, and then she tightened her vest over the man's shirt she was wearing.
"Are you sure about this," she asked her companion, whose only visible features were his green eyes over the mask that hid half his tanned face. A large cowboy hat almost covered his sandy hair.
"Of course, I'm sure, baby" Reggie uttered impatiently. "Didn't I tell you over and over how much experience I've got with this stuff?"
Phoebe sighed as she pulled the triangular dark scarf that hung from her neck over her mouth.
"It's just those guys are serious you know?" she pursued, even as she was preparing, "And I still think it's too close to town…"
"We had to make sure we wouldn't miss them. Besides, this is the best place for an ambush, and the city is three miles from here. No one's gonna interfere and we'll have plenty of time to get away. Now if you'll please…" he added with mounting irritation.
Phoebe gave him an annoyed look, and then she turned back toward the cloud, now very close.
Reggie pulled his gun and set it atop of the boulder, while Phoebe drew a Colt out of the holster hanging by her side. She expertly armed the weapon, actually enjoying the feel of the metal against her skin. She'd learned to handle guns early in life, taught by the first man who took her under his wing. She was barely fourteen at the time, and he had given her more of a life than scrounging for a living, which she had been doing from the age of ten, after she was orphaned. Unfortunately, even if he was relatively good to her, he was still an outlaw and ended up being shot dead during a hold up. By then, however, Phoebe had known how to take care of herself, as she had been seventeen at the time and more seasoned. For another couple of years, she got along on a few small thefts, mostly from lone travelers. Then her luck ran out and she was caught. Although her incarceration hadn't lasted very long, it got her to rethink her life of crime, and she found herself with nothing to live on afterward. This had begun the worst period of her existence in her opinion; even compared to the begging for food. She had ended up in a brothel, selling herself to old geezers, who could barely manage to go through with it, so decrepit they were. One day, she had pulled a knife on one of the customers who had refused to pay on the pretence that she was responsible for his failure to perform. Angry, she had threatened to cut his privates if he didn't pay up. She almost chuckled at the thought of the old man squealing like a pig, and then begging her to take his money. Of course, it had ended her stint in that place right there.
Her musings were interrupted by Reggie, shifting position. She realized then that she had been lost in thoughts for much longer than she'd believed, as she saw him tensing and heard the coach coming fast toward them.
"Be ready," Reggie said curtly without looking back.
The Coach was entering the gorge, preceded by one armed guard on horse, and followed by two more. Soon she could read the words Wells Fargo in golden letters on the bright red painted carriage. She nervously reaffirmed her hold on the gun, even as she watched Reggie staring intently. The moment the carriage had passed them by he lined up one of the guards and began pulling the trigger. Phoebe almost threw her hand over the barrel, and Reggie glared at her but still lowered the gun and shot toward the horse's legs. Phoebe looked back just in time to see the horse rearing and throwing its rider off, even as Reggie repeated the manoeuvre with the same result for the second guard. These were already trying to get to their feet when more gun shots resounded from in front of the coach. Phoebe cringed when she realized that the first guard had been hit. She wanted to protest, but a single glance from Reggie told her to can it. Instead, she aimed in front of the fallen guards' feet and began shooting to prevent them from retaliating. Reggie had promised that there would be no killing. This had been her only qualm in participating in this ambush. However, even if Reggie had respected his promise so far, the others in their band were not as respectful of her wishes, as it had just been made obvious.
Meanwhile the coach driver, seeing that they were under attack, had whipped the horses and sped up the carriage, trying to escape. He had to stop quickly however, when their two accomplices rode in the open, with their guns aimed straight at him.
The first two guards, seeing that they were outdone, threw their guns to the ground and lifted their hands up. Reggie signalled for Phoebe to move out, while their partners in crime went toward the coach and had the driver jumping off of it and falling hard to the ground. Phoebe kept her Colt training on the guards, while Reggie went to rejoin with the others and then they cautiously approached the door to the coach. Indeed, as soon as they tried to open it, a barrage of gunfire greeted them. Reggie barely had time to throw himself to the side, and then he motioned for the other two to go around.
"Get out with your hands on your head," Reggie screamed at whoever was still inside the coach. The only response he got were more blind gunshots through the door. Splinters of red wood fell to the ground while Reggie cringed and moved a few feet back. Even as the people inside were still shooting at him, the two on horseback started shooting from the other side of the coach. Even if she couldn't really see the result, the number of gunshots told her that the carriage must be riddled with holes after only a few seconds. As soon as they stopped shooting, a heavy silence came upon the gorge. Again, Reggie tried to call to the possible survivors:
"Come out now, or we'll finish you, even if we have to cut this coach opened with bullets…"
Phoebe had the sinking feeling that no one could actually answer from inside the coach, but was surprised to see the door open nevertheless. Two guns were thrown ahead in the dirt, and then a tall man with long dark hair and even darker clothing, came out of the coach holding his arm obviously in pain.
"That's more like it," Reggie uttered as he aimed at the man's chest ostensibly. "Any more in there," he asked curtly.
"None alive," the dark haired man responded harshly.
"Well, you should've known better," Reggie replied carelessly.
Then, he turned to his accomplices:
"Round them up…well… the ones still standing that is..."
Meanwhile, Phoebe felt noxious at the idea of the people who had died, and she cast a few quick glances toward the dark man, which Reggie was motioning toward the guards at the point of his gun. She got distracted when she realized that he was also observing her, and almost missed one of the guards trying a move toward her. She saw him from the corner of her eye, however, and immediately shot at the ground before his feet, stopping him short.
"You stay right where you are," she uttered in as deep a voice as she could manage. The guard still looked up in surprise, and Phoebe knew that her gender must have been obvious no matter. She grimaced under the mask but didn't give him the satisfaction of an acknowledgement.
Reggie watched to make sure that the guards and the driver were now under control, and then, in spite of the dark man's assurance, he went very cautiously toward the coach door and cast a quick glance inside. Obviously, what he saw satisfied him, because he emboldened himself and stood in front of the doorway, although still keeping his gun aimed at the inside of the coach. Slowly, he moved in, and a few seconds later, returned with a wide satisfied smile.
"We got it, baby," he uttered then, eliciting a few screams of joy from his accomplices. All but Phoebe, who was still under the shock…
One of the other two, a blond man with icy grey eyes, shook his gun barrel toward the guards.
"What do we do about them?"
Reggie cast a meaningful look at their prisoners, and then directly toward Phoebe.
Then:
"Tie 'em up and throw 'em on top of the coach. We'll take care of them later…"
The blond man made an impatient gesture but still went back to his mount and unhooked the rope he had on his saddle.
Soon the guards were all tied up, and Reggie climbed in the driver's seat with Phoebe by his side.
"Thanks," she said then.
"Oh don't thank me yet. I'm still not sure if we should leave witnesses…"
"You promised, Reggie! And there are already three dead…" She added with outrage.
"Unless you got a better idea…?"
Phoebe cast a worried glance at the guards lying atop the coach behind her.
"I might…" she then said, while her eyes lit up mischievously.
Reggie observed her for a moment longer, but when she said nothing more, he shrugged and directed the carriage off the road. Their own horses and the guards' had been tied to the carriage and the other two people that completed their band rode by their sides. They went on for many hours until Reggie stopped the coach in the middle of the desert. The sun was high in the sky by then and the heat almost unbearable. Reggie removed his hat and wiped his sweaty forehead before turning toward Phoebe.
"Ok what's your brilliant idea?"
Phoebe cast another look toward the guards, and then she bent toward Reggie's ear, whispering. He soon turned to her with wide eyes.
"We might as well kill them, Phoebe!"
"This way, they'll have a fighting chance, and they won't get back to town any time soon…"
Reggie shrugged and ordered his men to get the guards on the ground.
Surprising his men, he told them to untie the guards.
The blond one who had spoken up earlier protested:
"What is it? Another of her stupid ideas…? Reggie, you shouldn't listen to that woman!"
"Carl, I'd shut up if I were you," Reggie uttered icily.
Carl still stared defiantly in Phoebe's direction for a moment, but then he went and untied the guards as ordered.
Reggie watched their prisoners in silence for a moment, and then:
"Drop 'em," he told them unceremoniously.
The guards stared back uncertainly while they remained unmoving.
"I said drop 'em," Reggie repeated more forcefully.
The obvious implication finally hit the guards and they protested, but were soon convinced by the gangsters' guns trained on them menacingly. Reluctantly, they began undressing under the amused stares of the gang.
Soon the guards stood naked in front of them, trying their best to cover themselves, while the two accomplices picked up their clothing and threw it inside the coach.
The dark haired man had his hazelnut eyes fixated on Phoebe, and he looked very angry at this point, unlike his self-conscious companions. Phoebe only responded with a giggle.
"Hey Pheebs, are you trying to make me jealous," Reggie questioned jokingly, as he noticed that she was eyeing the naked men with a little too much interest.
"Oh come on, Reggie. Those make a change from the old geezers at Madame Rose's house. Can't a girl look?"
Reggie only chuckled, utterly unconcerned, as he whipped the horses. The coach distanced the guards quickly. At first, these tried to follow them, while screaming invectives, but they soon were left in the dust.
Forgetting altogether about the unfortunate men, Reggie pulled down the scarf he had kept on all this time, and he began talking animatedly about their take.
"Two hundred thousand dollars in gold, Phoebe…With the rest, it makes just about what I intended to get before retiring from this business."
"Where's the rest," Phoebe questioned almost offhandedly, as she gratefully pulled down the scarf covering half her face as well.
Reggie suddenly cast a suspicious look at the girl, but he still pursued:
"Somewhere safe… All in all, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for me, and the other half will go to you and our friends. Of course, your share will be slightly smaller. There is seniority to be considered, but you did good…"
"What does that mean exactly, and why can't you trust me with the location? I've proven myself, haven't I?"
"We'll get there soon enough, Phoebe…" Reggie added before falling silent.
Phoebe thought that she detected some distrust in his voice, but by then, he was staring ahead and she couldn't read his face.
She watched him a moment longer with irritation, but didn't insist, as she knew that Reggie could be very vindictive; particularly when came to the money…
After spending the night in the open, they ditched the coach and left in two separated groups, while sending the coach's horses, loaded with rocks, in yet another direction.
They rode along for a few hours, then Reggie changed direction and it seemed to Phoebe that they were going back. She halted her horse and called to him.
"Hey, where the hell are we going?"
"Trust me, Phoebe; they won't be looking for us anywhere near where we're going…"
"Ok, I might trust you, sort of… But why did you have to give the money to the others?"
"Because I trust them more than I trust you, baby."
"Hey, don't insult me," Phoebe uttered angrily. "I told you that I wasn't gonna betray you."
"Yeah, that's what you said…Well, prove it, and let me run this thing, ok baby?"
Phoebe hesitated at length, casting an uncertain glance behind them. Then she seemed to make up her mind and followed him.
That night, it was with trepidation that she entered the town of Prescott, Arizona. She had believed that they wouldn't see this place again. She cast nervous looks around herself, but as Reggie had said, no one paid them any attention.
As he dismounted in front of a hotel, Phoebe asked him again why they were here.
"If they find any of those guys in the desert, they're gonna tell which direction we took. They'll comb the desert for days all the way to Tucson or even Tombstone. Meanwhile, no one's gonna believe that we came back here."
"What about Carl and Lenny? Where were they going?"
Reggie turned to her with actual anger in his eyes at this.
"Hey, did I yes or no tell you to trust me and stop asking all these questions?"
Phoebe didn't like his attitude but she figured that now wasn't the time to cross him.
"Alright, I guess you know what you're doing…"
Reggie still stared at her for a moment, as if he was measuring her, and then he smiled slyly.
"Come on, baby, we deserve some quality time."
From the look of him, Phoebe had no doubts of the meaning; she actually felt a little thrill at this. They soon found themselves in the best room of the house.
Phoebe pulled her boots off quickly the moment they were in the room and then threw herself on the quilted bedspread.
"Wow," she exclaimed, "Now that's life!"
Reggie watched her as she caressed the soft blanket like a lover, and then a smile formed on his lips.
"See baby, I told you to trust me," he said, as he came toward the bed and, grabbing her thighs, he pulled her quickly toward him. Phoebe was a little startled, but she soon smiled as she lifted herself up to him and kissed his neck.
Reggie was already trying to undo her buckle, when she suddenly pulled away from him and pushed him off before standing up.
"Hey," he exclaimed, as he tried to grab her again, "where are you going?"
She looked back with her most alluring smile, while keeping out of range playfully.
"I'd like to wash up before…getting down and dirty," she added as her smile widened. She was already walking away toward a basin that had been prepared for them, when she felt herself grabbed from behind and pushed hard against the wall.
"Don't worry about it, baby," Reggie said hoarsely, "I like you fine the way you are," he added while rubbing against her lower back. Her breath quickened as he leaned heavily into her and pushed her harder against the wall; this until her breasts hurt.
"Hey, calm down," she uttered between clenched teeth.
Reggie loosened his grip slightly to reach ahead and he undid her pants expertly, never letting go of her.
"Don't tell me you don't like it, Phoebe. I know you," Reggie said as he was slipping his hand under the belt, now undone, and pushing the pants down quickly."
His callous hand slowly came back up her thighs, lingering in her loins, while she shivered and already felt an arousal, in spite of the roughness of his touch. With his other hand, he was already undoing his own pants and she soon felt his naked body against hers. His arousal only excited her more and by then she was biting her lips to stifle the moans that she felt coming. His hand suddenly went up the shirt she was still wearing and as he pulled her off the wall, he grabbed her breasts firmly. This time, she couldn't help the little scream of surprise, as he dragged her backward toward the bed and then turned her around before he threw her on it. Again grabbing her thighs, he pulled her to him and without wait, entered her, eliciting yet another scream from her, this one of pleasure.
"Yes, baby, I know you like it," Reggie said as he watched her taking short intakes of breath, and she began moving in time with him. He pushed the shirt up over her breasts and bent toward them, taking a firm nipple in his mouth, as he moved faster inside her, revelling in the warmth of her. He felt her tensing and she planted her fingernails deeply in his back. The pain was unpleasant, yet it was also exciting to him, as he felt the first wave of pleasure exploding from his loins. Even as he was shaken by the throes of ecstasy, he pushed deeper inside her and was soon rewarded by Phoebe's scream of release, which heightened his pleasure all the more.
When he felt her relaxing underneath him, he pulled out quickly and she groaned unhappily. Yet, soon after she was getting up and going to the basin, as he watched her leisurely.
Phoebe cast a few glances back at the man lying on the bed, and in spite of the intense pleasure he had given her, she still knew that she didn't love him. In fact, she wondered what love was, or if it actually existed. Sex was as close to it as she ever got, and she had to admit that she could never get enough of it. Sometimes in the deep recesses of her mind, she felt some shame at her casual take on physical love. That was mostly when she remembered a time before her parents succumbed to the fever. When there had still been a modicum of rules and principles in her life. However, after she had to fend for herself over the years, she came to think of sex as the only release from a life of misery at first, and then a simple pleasure in and of itself. One where she could forget for a moment of intense gratification what her life truly was like. She also used it shamelessly as a means to an end, and at this moment, she knew that in a way, she had been doing just this with Reggie.
This level of introspection displeased her however, and she soon shrugged the vague malaise away. Instead, she finished her ablutions and returned to the bed. By then, Reggie was asleep atop the bedspread, or so she thought. She slid between the satin sheets and sighed of contentment at their soft caress on her bare skin. Soon, exhaustion got the better of her and she drifted into a deep sleep.
Contrary to what Phoebe had believed however, Reggie was very much awake. As soon as he was certain that she wouldn't notice, he picked up his clothes and put them on quickly. He then went to the dresser and put a handful of gold coins from the robbery in plain view, before going back by Phoebe's side and leaning cautiously toward her.
He caressed her hip through the sheet and gave her a longing look, as he whispered:
"Too bad you're so curious, Phoebe. I'm gonna regret this body of yours…Good bye, baby," he trained before leaving the room as quietly as he could.
She never even stirred, oblivious to her lover's departure.
Phoebe woke up with a start, at first wondering what had pulled her out of the nice dream she was having. Outside, she saw that it was already day time through a slit in the drapes. An insistent knock on the door answered her question and she immediately became alert. She wondered why Reggie wasn't moving yet, but when she turned toward his side of the bed, she didn't find him. She barely had time to wonder if he was the one banging on the door before the loud voice coming from behind it told her the truth of the matter.
"Come out right now, in the name of the law!"
At this point, panic twisted her insides, even as she wondered how they could've found her. "Reggie, where are you," she asked herself, even as the man called louder.
"Open this door or we're breaking in!"
Phoebe was still trying to weigh her options when the door exploded inward and a group of men entered, armed as if she was the number one enemy. Frightened, she pulled the sheet up to her chin and took in the men's obvious lurid stares.
"Well, well, well," one of them said, as he went straight to the dresser and picked up some of the coins. "Wonder where you might've gotten so much money, lady?"
He looked around the room meaningfully, and then:
"And where's the man that stayed with you last night?"
Phoebe stared at him angrily before answering instinctively:
"I don't know what you're talking about. I've been alone here…"
He eyed her suspiciously, but Phoebe didn't say anymore.
However, a very disturbing idea began to form in her mind as she waited for what would come next. Phoebe didn't have much time to dwell on this because another of the armed men came to her and pulled her rudely out of bed. She still managed to cover herself with the sheet, but only partially. Then for the first time in a long time, she felt humiliated by the way they looked at her.
"What is it you're reproaching to me?" she finally asked, trying her best to preserve her dignity, as little as she had left at this point.
Instead of answering her question, the man who had spoken turned toward the door and called to someone waiting outside. Phoebe almost gasped at seeing one of the coach's guards coming in. He took one look at her and had to be restrained when he tried to run to her angrily.
"So does that mean you recognize her?" the deputy asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.
"Oh, she had a mask on and all, but that's her, alright," the guard answered, ignoring the deputy's attitude. "I'd know her anywhere. That's the bitch who…" He stopped, suddenly too embarrassed to continue, and the other men didn't need him to elaborate. A few of them seemed ill at ease, while others had pain repressing amused smiles.
"Well, girl…"the first deputy announced, "you're under arrest for the attack on the Wells Fargo coach. Put something on," he spat then, throwing at her the clothes he found on a chair.
Phoebe eyed the guard angrily, and then the armed deputies, who didn't seem to think anything of watching her dress. After a moment of hesitation, she defiantly dropped the sheet and, trying to forget the men's scrutiny, she put back on the dusty clothes.
"This one has guts…among other things," the deputy uttered suggestively, before he grabbed her arm and dragged Phoebe out of the room…
"So, you knew that Phoebe Halliwell didn't you?"
The tall man was sitting on the bed, trying his best to keep the blonde girl, who was facing him and pouting alluringly, at a distance.
"How does anyone know another really?"
Even as she was saying this, she was trailing a lazy finger down toward her ample breasts, which the near insubstantial garment she had on barely covered. As she bent suggestively toward him, Cole couldn't help following her gesture with his deep blue eyes, while he still tried to question her.
"You must know something about her…they say that you were as close to a friend as she ever had in this place."
The girl sighed unhappily.
"Phoebe never had a friend. She was a very bad apple. Matter of fact," she added, as she kneeled down in front of him and put her hands flat on his thighs, "she caused quite a stir on her last day here. Drove the business away for over a month… "
"Really," Cole asked, before jumping slightly as the girl's hands had reached his loins. Reluctantly, he grabbed her wrists and pushed her back.
"Look, girl…
"Penny," she offered.
"Penny…I'm here for information…mostly about her relationship with Reggie the Slick…Some say that she met him here…" Cole said, even as he couldn't keep a slight hoarseness out of his voice.
"Oh come on, cowboy. Talking is so overrated. You paid good money to come up here, and besides," she paused as she gave him an appreciative look, "you make quite a nice change from the usual around here…"
Cole had to smile at the girl's insistence. He had to admit that she was most definitely an attractive girl, even though the platinum blonde look didn't appeal to him all that much. What's more, he wasn't in the habit of paying for this sort of thing. Yet, the fact that the girl he was after had worked in this house prompted him to come and glean some information. Until now, however, he had learned very little and had come to the conclusion that this Phoebe girl must be the closed kind. Still, he decided that maybe Penny only needed a little more persuasion. Bending over, he pulled one of his boots off, which elicited a delighted exclamation from the girl.
"That's more like it, cowboy." She was already trying to unbutton his shirt when he pulled a wad of cash out of the boot and again, pushed her away delicately.
"Would that refresh your memory?"
She licked her lips uncertainly while eyeing the money.
"Hum, well…you know this Reggie you're talking about…if I knew anything about him, I'm not sure it'd tell you. I'm not saying that I do…"
Cole saw her hesitation and considered it more like a bargaining trick, as he pulled some more money from the boot under her intense scrutiny.
"And now?" Cole insisted, while waving the money in front of her.
"Oh alright," Penny replied, grabbing the money and tucking it between her breasts while pouting anew. "Yeah, she did meet a guy here. And it could've been this Reggie person. He was a tough fellow. Personally, I'd have stayed away, but Phoebe didn't seem to mind. After her little stunt here, they locked her up for a week or so. A couple weeks after she got out, she stopped by and told me that she was hooking up with him for a while. I warned her against the guy, but she wouldn't listen, as usual. All the good it did her. Last I heard, he dumped her just before she got arrested again. 'Tween you and me, I think he did that to her. Wouldn't surprise me in the least…I guess she should count herself lucky he didn't slit her throat… Anyway, that's all I'm gonna say about this. This subject could get very unhealthy for me..."
"Now if he was that bad to her, why then is she protecting him? She's scared of him too?"
Penny suddenly eyed him suspiciously.
"Phoebe ain't scared of anything. In fact, if he left her to be caught, she's probably wishing she could get back at him herself. She's crazy like that. But what's your business in this," she asked with renewed mistrust.
"I'm not a Marshall, if that's what worries you. Just a private citizen who's got a vested interest in finding out more about this girl's boyfriend; along with his involvement in the coach robbery..."
"So…you're after the money? Can't blame you," she added, smiling again as she moved back toward him suggestively. "Two hundred thousand dollars in gold is quite the prize…"
"From what I've heard, he's got much more than this stashed somewhere…"
Penny ostensibly put her hands on his other boot and started pulling it while she continued.
"I don't think he'd have told Phoebe where. He was just as close mouthed as she was…"
This time, Cole didn't stop her, even as he added:
"This all seems strange to me. If she can't find this place by herself, what's the harm in telling on him to get a lighter sentence?"
Penny slid her hands up his thighs again as she spoke.
"Hey, maybe she knows more than she lets out, after all… wouldn't surprise me if she had some scheme planned. I wish her all the luck," she added playfully as her hand reached his groin and she began caressing him purposefully. It didn't take long before she elicited a response from him, but even if he was really tempted, the idea of paying for it seemed pathetic to him. At great efforts, and in spite of the painful stirring he felt the need to appease, he pushed her away again. This time, he picked up his boots in hurry, and then walked to the door.
"Hey," Penny called, "you can't tell me you don't want it, cowboy."
Cole turned to her with an uneasy smile.
"In any other circumstances, yeah… Who knows…? Thanks for the info."
Penny pulled at her flimsy blouse, nearly exposing her breasts completely at the same time as the money.
"It's me who's grateful, cowboy."
Cole again stared at the ample bosom with a renewed stirring, but quickly chastised himself before he waved good bye and went out.
A day later, Cole had reached the town of Prescott and soon found the Jailhouse.
As far as he knew, Phoebe Halliwell had been there for over a month, and she hadn't told a soul about her accomplices or where the money might be. After his little chat with the prostitute, he thought that he understood why a little better. Still, that didn't help his cause. He watched the building pensively, wondering how he would break her where no one else had succeeded. Then an idea began to form in his mind…
Disclaimer: All the characters from Charmed belong to the Charmed Productions and Spelling. I only lay claim on the character (s) that I created myself. No Copyright infringement with the show of Charmed is intended with this story.
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Unlawfully Yours
In the distance, a cloud of dust was forming on the desert road leading to Prescott, Arizona. Phoebe watched the growing cloud with some interest, but also with a hint of anxiety, as she crouched behind a boulder situated halfway up a hill lining the dirt road. The sun had come up only minutes earlier, and the cool air of the night had not given way to the warmth of day yet. Phoebe shivered, unsure if it was from the cold or from the nerves, and then she tightened her vest over the man's shirt she was wearing.
"Are you sure about this," she asked her companion, whose only visible features were his green eyes over the mask that hid half his tanned face. A large cowboy hat almost covered his sandy hair.
"Of course, I'm sure, baby" Reggie uttered impatiently. "Didn't I tell you over and over how much experience I've got with this stuff?"
Phoebe sighed as she pulled the triangular dark scarf that hung from her neck over her mouth.
"It's just those guys are serious you know?" she pursued, even as she was preparing, "And I still think it's too close to town…"
"We had to make sure we wouldn't miss them. Besides, this is the best place for an ambush, and the city is three miles from here. No one's gonna interfere and we'll have plenty of time to get away. Now if you'll please…" he added with mounting irritation.
Phoebe gave him an annoyed look, and then she turned back toward the cloud, now very close.
Reggie pulled his gun and set it atop of the boulder, while Phoebe drew a Colt out of the holster hanging by her side. She expertly armed the weapon, actually enjoying the feel of the metal against her skin. She'd learned to handle guns early in life, taught by the first man who took her under his wing. She was barely fourteen at the time, and he had given her more of a life than scrounging for a living, which she had been doing from the age of ten, after she was orphaned. Unfortunately, even if he was relatively good to her, he was still an outlaw and ended up being shot dead during a hold up. By then, however, Phoebe had known how to take care of herself, as she had been seventeen at the time and more seasoned. For another couple of years, she got along on a few small thefts, mostly from lone travelers. Then her luck ran out and she was caught. Although her incarceration hadn't lasted very long, it got her to rethink her life of crime, and she found herself with nothing to live on afterward. This had begun the worst period of her existence in her opinion; even compared to the begging for food. She had ended up in a brothel, selling herself to old geezers, who could barely manage to go through with it, so decrepit they were. One day, she had pulled a knife on one of the customers who had refused to pay on the pretence that she was responsible for his failure to perform. Angry, she had threatened to cut his privates if he didn't pay up. She almost chuckled at the thought of the old man squealing like a pig, and then begging her to take his money. Of course, it had ended her stint in that place right there.
Her musings were interrupted by Reggie, shifting position. She realized then that she had been lost in thoughts for much longer than she'd believed, as she saw him tensing and heard the coach coming fast toward them.
"Be ready," Reggie said curtly without looking back.
The Coach was entering the gorge, preceded by one armed guard on horse, and followed by two more. Soon she could read the words Wells Fargo in golden letters on the bright red painted carriage. She nervously reaffirmed her hold on the gun, even as she watched Reggie staring intently. The moment the carriage had passed them by he lined up one of the guards and began pulling the trigger. Phoebe almost threw her hand over the barrel, and Reggie glared at her but still lowered the gun and shot toward the horse's legs. Phoebe looked back just in time to see the horse rearing and throwing its rider off, even as Reggie repeated the manoeuvre with the same result for the second guard. These were already trying to get to their feet when more gun shots resounded from in front of the coach. Phoebe cringed when she realized that the first guard had been hit. She wanted to protest, but a single glance from Reggie told her to can it. Instead, she aimed in front of the fallen guards' feet and began shooting to prevent them from retaliating. Reggie had promised that there would be no killing. This had been her only qualm in participating in this ambush. However, even if Reggie had respected his promise so far, the others in their band were not as respectful of her wishes, as it had just been made obvious.
Meanwhile the coach driver, seeing that they were under attack, had whipped the horses and sped up the carriage, trying to escape. He had to stop quickly however, when their two accomplices rode in the open, with their guns aimed straight at him.
The first two guards, seeing that they were outdone, threw their guns to the ground and lifted their hands up. Reggie signalled for Phoebe to move out, while their partners in crime went toward the coach and had the driver jumping off of it and falling hard to the ground. Phoebe kept her Colt training on the guards, while Reggie went to rejoin with the others and then they cautiously approached the door to the coach. Indeed, as soon as they tried to open it, a barrage of gunfire greeted them. Reggie barely had time to throw himself to the side, and then he motioned for the other two to go around.
"Get out with your hands on your head," Reggie screamed at whoever was still inside the coach. The only response he got were more blind gunshots through the door. Splinters of red wood fell to the ground while Reggie cringed and moved a few feet back. Even as the people inside were still shooting at him, the two on horseback started shooting from the other side of the coach. Even if she couldn't really see the result, the number of gunshots told her that the carriage must be riddled with holes after only a few seconds. As soon as they stopped shooting, a heavy silence came upon the gorge. Again, Reggie tried to call to the possible survivors:
"Come out now, or we'll finish you, even if we have to cut this coach opened with bullets…"
Phoebe had the sinking feeling that no one could actually answer from inside the coach, but was surprised to see the door open nevertheless. Two guns were thrown ahead in the dirt, and then a tall man with long dark hair and even darker clothing, came out of the coach holding his arm obviously in pain.
"That's more like it," Reggie uttered as he aimed at the man's chest ostensibly. "Any more in there," he asked curtly.
"None alive," the dark haired man responded harshly.
"Well, you should've known better," Reggie replied carelessly.
Then, he turned to his accomplices:
"Round them up…well… the ones still standing that is..."
Meanwhile, Phoebe felt noxious at the idea of the people who had died, and she cast a few quick glances toward the dark man, which Reggie was motioning toward the guards at the point of his gun. She got distracted when she realized that he was also observing her, and almost missed one of the guards trying a move toward her. She saw him from the corner of her eye, however, and immediately shot at the ground before his feet, stopping him short.
"You stay right where you are," she uttered in as deep a voice as she could manage. The guard still looked up in surprise, and Phoebe knew that her gender must have been obvious no matter. She grimaced under the mask but didn't give him the satisfaction of an acknowledgement.
Reggie watched to make sure that the guards and the driver were now under control, and then, in spite of the dark man's assurance, he went very cautiously toward the coach door and cast a quick glance inside. Obviously, what he saw satisfied him, because he emboldened himself and stood in front of the doorway, although still keeping his gun aimed at the inside of the coach. Slowly, he moved in, and a few seconds later, returned with a wide satisfied smile.
"We got it, baby," he uttered then, eliciting a few screams of joy from his accomplices. All but Phoebe, who was still under the shock…
One of the other two, a blond man with icy grey eyes, shook his gun barrel toward the guards.
"What do we do about them?"
Reggie cast a meaningful look at their prisoners, and then directly toward Phoebe.
Then:
"Tie 'em up and throw 'em on top of the coach. We'll take care of them later…"
The blond man made an impatient gesture but still went back to his mount and unhooked the rope he had on his saddle.
Soon the guards were all tied up, and Reggie climbed in the driver's seat with Phoebe by his side.
"Thanks," she said then.
"Oh don't thank me yet. I'm still not sure if we should leave witnesses…"
"You promised, Reggie! And there are already three dead…" She added with outrage.
"Unless you got a better idea…?"
Phoebe cast a worried glance at the guards lying atop the coach behind her.
"I might…" she then said, while her eyes lit up mischievously.
Reggie observed her for a moment longer, but when she said nothing more, he shrugged and directed the carriage off the road. Their own horses and the guards' had been tied to the carriage and the other two people that completed their band rode by their sides. They went on for many hours until Reggie stopped the coach in the middle of the desert. The sun was high in the sky by then and the heat almost unbearable. Reggie removed his hat and wiped his sweaty forehead before turning toward Phoebe.
"Ok what's your brilliant idea?"
Phoebe cast another look toward the guards, and then she bent toward Reggie's ear, whispering. He soon turned to her with wide eyes.
"We might as well kill them, Phoebe!"
"This way, they'll have a fighting chance, and they won't get back to town any time soon…"
Reggie shrugged and ordered his men to get the guards on the ground.
Surprising his men, he told them to untie the guards.
The blond one who had spoken up earlier protested:
"What is it? Another of her stupid ideas…? Reggie, you shouldn't listen to that woman!"
"Carl, I'd shut up if I were you," Reggie uttered icily.
Carl still stared defiantly in Phoebe's direction for a moment, but then he went and untied the guards as ordered.
Reggie watched their prisoners in silence for a moment, and then:
"Drop 'em," he told them unceremoniously.
The guards stared back uncertainly while they remained unmoving.
"I said drop 'em," Reggie repeated more forcefully.
The obvious implication finally hit the guards and they protested, but were soon convinced by the gangsters' guns trained on them menacingly. Reluctantly, they began undressing under the amused stares of the gang.
Soon the guards stood naked in front of them, trying their best to cover themselves, while the two accomplices picked up their clothing and threw it inside the coach.
The dark haired man had his hazelnut eyes fixated on Phoebe, and he looked very angry at this point, unlike his self-conscious companions. Phoebe only responded with a giggle.
"Hey Pheebs, are you trying to make me jealous," Reggie questioned jokingly, as he noticed that she was eyeing the naked men with a little too much interest.
"Oh come on, Reggie. Those make a change from the old geezers at Madame Rose's house. Can't a girl look?"
Reggie only chuckled, utterly unconcerned, as he whipped the horses. The coach distanced the guards quickly. At first, these tried to follow them, while screaming invectives, but they soon were left in the dust.
Forgetting altogether about the unfortunate men, Reggie pulled down the scarf he had kept on all this time, and he began talking animatedly about their take.
"Two hundred thousand dollars in gold, Phoebe…With the rest, it makes just about what I intended to get before retiring from this business."
"Where's the rest," Phoebe questioned almost offhandedly, as she gratefully pulled down the scarf covering half her face as well.
Reggie suddenly cast a suspicious look at the girl, but he still pursued:
"Somewhere safe… All in all, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for me, and the other half will go to you and our friends. Of course, your share will be slightly smaller. There is seniority to be considered, but you did good…"
"What does that mean exactly, and why can't you trust me with the location? I've proven myself, haven't I?"
"We'll get there soon enough, Phoebe…" Reggie added before falling silent.
Phoebe thought that she detected some distrust in his voice, but by then, he was staring ahead and she couldn't read his face.
She watched him a moment longer with irritation, but didn't insist, as she knew that Reggie could be very vindictive; particularly when came to the money…
After spending the night in the open, they ditched the coach and left in two separated groups, while sending the coach's horses, loaded with rocks, in yet another direction.
They rode along for a few hours, then Reggie changed direction and it seemed to Phoebe that they were going back. She halted her horse and called to him.
"Hey, where the hell are we going?"
"Trust me, Phoebe; they won't be looking for us anywhere near where we're going…"
"Ok, I might trust you, sort of… But why did you have to give the money to the others?"
"Because I trust them more than I trust you, baby."
"Hey, don't insult me," Phoebe uttered angrily. "I told you that I wasn't gonna betray you."
"Yeah, that's what you said…Well, prove it, and let me run this thing, ok baby?"
Phoebe hesitated at length, casting an uncertain glance behind them. Then she seemed to make up her mind and followed him.
That night, it was with trepidation that she entered the town of Prescott, Arizona. She had believed that they wouldn't see this place again. She cast nervous looks around herself, but as Reggie had said, no one paid them any attention.
As he dismounted in front of a hotel, Phoebe asked him again why they were here.
"If they find any of those guys in the desert, they're gonna tell which direction we took. They'll comb the desert for days all the way to Tucson or even Tombstone. Meanwhile, no one's gonna believe that we came back here."
"What about Carl and Lenny? Where were they going?"
Reggie turned to her with actual anger in his eyes at this.
"Hey, did I yes or no tell you to trust me and stop asking all these questions?"
Phoebe didn't like his attitude but she figured that now wasn't the time to cross him.
"Alright, I guess you know what you're doing…"
Reggie still stared at her for a moment, as if he was measuring her, and then he smiled slyly.
"Come on, baby, we deserve some quality time."
From the look of him, Phoebe had no doubts of the meaning; she actually felt a little thrill at this. They soon found themselves in the best room of the house.
Phoebe pulled her boots off quickly the moment they were in the room and then threw herself on the quilted bedspread.
"Wow," she exclaimed, "Now that's life!"
Reggie watched her as she caressed the soft blanket like a lover, and then a smile formed on his lips.
"See baby, I told you to trust me," he said, as he came toward the bed and, grabbing her thighs, he pulled her quickly toward him. Phoebe was a little startled, but she soon smiled as she lifted herself up to him and kissed his neck.
Reggie was already trying to undo her buckle, when she suddenly pulled away from him and pushed him off before standing up.
"Hey," he exclaimed, as he tried to grab her again, "where are you going?"
She looked back with her most alluring smile, while keeping out of range playfully.
"I'd like to wash up before…getting down and dirty," she added as her smile widened. She was already walking away toward a basin that had been prepared for them, when she felt herself grabbed from behind and pushed hard against the wall.
"Don't worry about it, baby," Reggie said hoarsely, "I like you fine the way you are," he added while rubbing against her lower back. Her breath quickened as he leaned heavily into her and pushed her harder against the wall; this until her breasts hurt.
"Hey, calm down," she uttered between clenched teeth.
Reggie loosened his grip slightly to reach ahead and he undid her pants expertly, never letting go of her.
"Don't tell me you don't like it, Phoebe. I know you," Reggie said as he was slipping his hand under the belt, now undone, and pushing the pants down quickly."
His callous hand slowly came back up her thighs, lingering in her loins, while she shivered and already felt an arousal, in spite of the roughness of his touch. With his other hand, he was already undoing his own pants and she soon felt his naked body against hers. His arousal only excited her more and by then she was biting her lips to stifle the moans that she felt coming. His hand suddenly went up the shirt she was still wearing and as he pulled her off the wall, he grabbed her breasts firmly. This time, she couldn't help the little scream of surprise, as he dragged her backward toward the bed and then turned her around before he threw her on it. Again grabbing her thighs, he pulled her to him and without wait, entered her, eliciting yet another scream from her, this one of pleasure.
"Yes, baby, I know you like it," Reggie said as he watched her taking short intakes of breath, and she began moving in time with him. He pushed the shirt up over her breasts and bent toward them, taking a firm nipple in his mouth, as he moved faster inside her, revelling in the warmth of her. He felt her tensing and she planted her fingernails deeply in his back. The pain was unpleasant, yet it was also exciting to him, as he felt the first wave of pleasure exploding from his loins. Even as he was shaken by the throes of ecstasy, he pushed deeper inside her and was soon rewarded by Phoebe's scream of release, which heightened his pleasure all the more.
When he felt her relaxing underneath him, he pulled out quickly and she groaned unhappily. Yet, soon after she was getting up and going to the basin, as he watched her leisurely.
Phoebe cast a few glances back at the man lying on the bed, and in spite of the intense pleasure he had given her, she still knew that she didn't love him. In fact, she wondered what love was, or if it actually existed. Sex was as close to it as she ever got, and she had to admit that she could never get enough of it. Sometimes in the deep recesses of her mind, she felt some shame at her casual take on physical love. That was mostly when she remembered a time before her parents succumbed to the fever. When there had still been a modicum of rules and principles in her life. However, after she had to fend for herself over the years, she came to think of sex as the only release from a life of misery at first, and then a simple pleasure in and of itself. One where she could forget for a moment of intense gratification what her life truly was like. She also used it shamelessly as a means to an end, and at this moment, she knew that in a way, she had been doing just this with Reggie.
This level of introspection displeased her however, and she soon shrugged the vague malaise away. Instead, she finished her ablutions and returned to the bed. By then, Reggie was asleep atop the bedspread, or so she thought. She slid between the satin sheets and sighed of contentment at their soft caress on her bare skin. Soon, exhaustion got the better of her and she drifted into a deep sleep.
Contrary to what Phoebe had believed however, Reggie was very much awake. As soon as he was certain that she wouldn't notice, he picked up his clothes and put them on quickly. He then went to the dresser and put a handful of gold coins from the robbery in plain view, before going back by Phoebe's side and leaning cautiously toward her.
He caressed her hip through the sheet and gave her a longing look, as he whispered:
"Too bad you're so curious, Phoebe. I'm gonna regret this body of yours…Good bye, baby," he trained before leaving the room as quietly as he could.
She never even stirred, oblivious to her lover's departure.
Phoebe woke up with a start, at first wondering what had pulled her out of the nice dream she was having. Outside, she saw that it was already day time through a slit in the drapes. An insistent knock on the door answered her question and she immediately became alert. She wondered why Reggie wasn't moving yet, but when she turned toward his side of the bed, she didn't find him. She barely had time to wonder if he was the one banging on the door before the loud voice coming from behind it told her the truth of the matter.
"Come out right now, in the name of the law!"
At this point, panic twisted her insides, even as she wondered how they could've found her. "Reggie, where are you," she asked herself, even as the man called louder.
"Open this door or we're breaking in!"
Phoebe was still trying to weigh her options when the door exploded inward and a group of men entered, armed as if she was the number one enemy. Frightened, she pulled the sheet up to her chin and took in the men's obvious lurid stares.
"Well, well, well," one of them said, as he went straight to the dresser and picked up some of the coins. "Wonder where you might've gotten so much money, lady?"
He looked around the room meaningfully, and then:
"And where's the man that stayed with you last night?"
Phoebe stared at him angrily before answering instinctively:
"I don't know what you're talking about. I've been alone here…"
He eyed her suspiciously, but Phoebe didn't say anymore.
However, a very disturbing idea began to form in her mind as she waited for what would come next. Phoebe didn't have much time to dwell on this because another of the armed men came to her and pulled her rudely out of bed. She still managed to cover herself with the sheet, but only partially. Then for the first time in a long time, she felt humiliated by the way they looked at her.
"What is it you're reproaching to me?" she finally asked, trying her best to preserve her dignity, as little as she had left at this point.
Instead of answering her question, the man who had spoken turned toward the door and called to someone waiting outside. Phoebe almost gasped at seeing one of the coach's guards coming in. He took one look at her and had to be restrained when he tried to run to her angrily.
"So does that mean you recognize her?" the deputy asked, unable to keep the amusement out of his voice.
"Oh, she had a mask on and all, but that's her, alright," the guard answered, ignoring the deputy's attitude. "I'd know her anywhere. That's the bitch who…" He stopped, suddenly too embarrassed to continue, and the other men didn't need him to elaborate. A few of them seemed ill at ease, while others had pain repressing amused smiles.
"Well, girl…"the first deputy announced, "you're under arrest for the attack on the Wells Fargo coach. Put something on," he spat then, throwing at her the clothes he found on a chair.
Phoebe eyed the guard angrily, and then the armed deputies, who didn't seem to think anything of watching her dress. After a moment of hesitation, she defiantly dropped the sheet and, trying to forget the men's scrutiny, she put back on the dusty clothes.
"This one has guts…among other things," the deputy uttered suggestively, before he grabbed her arm and dragged Phoebe out of the room…
"So, you knew that Phoebe Halliwell didn't you?"
The tall man was sitting on the bed, trying his best to keep the blonde girl, who was facing him and pouting alluringly, at a distance.
"How does anyone know another really?"
Even as she was saying this, she was trailing a lazy finger down toward her ample breasts, which the near insubstantial garment she had on barely covered. As she bent suggestively toward him, Cole couldn't help following her gesture with his deep blue eyes, while he still tried to question her.
"You must know something about her…they say that you were as close to a friend as she ever had in this place."
The girl sighed unhappily.
"Phoebe never had a friend. She was a very bad apple. Matter of fact," she added, as she kneeled down in front of him and put her hands flat on his thighs, "she caused quite a stir on her last day here. Drove the business away for over a month… "
"Really," Cole asked, before jumping slightly as the girl's hands had reached his loins. Reluctantly, he grabbed her wrists and pushed her back.
"Look, girl…
"Penny," she offered.
"Penny…I'm here for information…mostly about her relationship with Reggie the Slick…Some say that she met him here…" Cole said, even as he couldn't keep a slight hoarseness out of his voice.
"Oh come on, cowboy. Talking is so overrated. You paid good money to come up here, and besides," she paused as she gave him an appreciative look, "you make quite a nice change from the usual around here…"
Cole had to smile at the girl's insistence. He had to admit that she was most definitely an attractive girl, even though the platinum blonde look didn't appeal to him all that much. What's more, he wasn't in the habit of paying for this sort of thing. Yet, the fact that the girl he was after had worked in this house prompted him to come and glean some information. Until now, however, he had learned very little and had come to the conclusion that this Phoebe girl must be the closed kind. Still, he decided that maybe Penny only needed a little more persuasion. Bending over, he pulled one of his boots off, which elicited a delighted exclamation from the girl.
"That's more like it, cowboy." She was already trying to unbutton his shirt when he pulled a wad of cash out of the boot and again, pushed her away delicately.
"Would that refresh your memory?"
She licked her lips uncertainly while eyeing the money.
"Hum, well…you know this Reggie you're talking about…if I knew anything about him, I'm not sure it'd tell you. I'm not saying that I do…"
Cole saw her hesitation and considered it more like a bargaining trick, as he pulled some more money from the boot under her intense scrutiny.
"And now?" Cole insisted, while waving the money in front of her.
"Oh alright," Penny replied, grabbing the money and tucking it between her breasts while pouting anew. "Yeah, she did meet a guy here. And it could've been this Reggie person. He was a tough fellow. Personally, I'd have stayed away, but Phoebe didn't seem to mind. After her little stunt here, they locked her up for a week or so. A couple weeks after she got out, she stopped by and told me that she was hooking up with him for a while. I warned her against the guy, but she wouldn't listen, as usual. All the good it did her. Last I heard, he dumped her just before she got arrested again. 'Tween you and me, I think he did that to her. Wouldn't surprise me in the least…I guess she should count herself lucky he didn't slit her throat… Anyway, that's all I'm gonna say about this. This subject could get very unhealthy for me..."
"Now if he was that bad to her, why then is she protecting him? She's scared of him too?"
Penny suddenly eyed him suspiciously.
"Phoebe ain't scared of anything. In fact, if he left her to be caught, she's probably wishing she could get back at him herself. She's crazy like that. But what's your business in this," she asked with renewed mistrust.
"I'm not a Marshall, if that's what worries you. Just a private citizen who's got a vested interest in finding out more about this girl's boyfriend; along with his involvement in the coach robbery..."
"So…you're after the money? Can't blame you," she added, smiling again as she moved back toward him suggestively. "Two hundred thousand dollars in gold is quite the prize…"
"From what I've heard, he's got much more than this stashed somewhere…"
Penny ostensibly put her hands on his other boot and started pulling it while she continued.
"I don't think he'd have told Phoebe where. He was just as close mouthed as she was…"
This time, Cole didn't stop her, even as he added:
"This all seems strange to me. If she can't find this place by herself, what's the harm in telling on him to get a lighter sentence?"
Penny slid her hands up his thighs again as she spoke.
"Hey, maybe she knows more than she lets out, after all… wouldn't surprise me if she had some scheme planned. I wish her all the luck," she added playfully as her hand reached his groin and she began caressing him purposefully. It didn't take long before she elicited a response from him, but even if he was really tempted, the idea of paying for it seemed pathetic to him. At great efforts, and in spite of the painful stirring he felt the need to appease, he pushed her away again. This time, he picked up his boots in hurry, and then walked to the door.
"Hey," Penny called, "you can't tell me you don't want it, cowboy."
Cole turned to her with an uneasy smile.
"In any other circumstances, yeah… Who knows…? Thanks for the info."
Penny pulled at her flimsy blouse, nearly exposing her breasts completely at the same time as the money.
"It's me who's grateful, cowboy."
Cole again stared at the ample bosom with a renewed stirring, but quickly chastised himself before he waved good bye and went out.
A day later, Cole had reached the town of Prescott and soon found the Jailhouse.
As far as he knew, Phoebe Halliwell had been there for over a month, and she hadn't told a soul about her accomplices or where the money might be. After his little chat with the prostitute, he thought that he understood why a little better. Still, that didn't help his cause. He watched the building pensively, wondering how he would break her where no one else had succeeded. Then an idea began to form in his mind…